Monday, July 11, 2016

Recusals

Moore said the only factor for the him in reaching this decision
involves his relationship to the parents of officer Blane Salamoni. His
parents are both experienced law enforcement professionals who have
achieved senior leadership positions within the Baton Rouge Police
Department, Moore said.

Salamoni's mother was the violent crime and crime scene commander
during most of the District Attorney's term of office and interacted
personally and professionally with the District Attorney in establishing
the parish-wide violent crime unit in 2010, according to a report Moore
released following Monday's news conference.

Earlier the officers' body cams recused themselves as well when they conveniently "came loose" during the incident. Luckily, there were other cameras on the scene that night. Unluckily, they have been.. well.. let's call it involuntarily recused.

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — The owner of the convenience store where Alton Sterling was killed last week by cops
alleges in a lawsuit that police stole surveillance video from his
shop, confiscated his cell phone, and locked him inside a car for the
next four hours.

Abdullah
Muhlafi, proprietor of the Triple S Mart, saw police confront and kill
Sterling who was selling CDs with his permission in the front parking
lot last Tuesday night. Muhlafi recorded part of the incident in footage
he gave The Daily Beast last week that shows Sterling did not have a
weapon in his hand when Officer Howie Lake shouted “gun!” and Officer Blane Salamoni fired six shots into his chest.

Muhlafi claims in a lawsuit filed
Monday in Baton Rouge district court that after Salamoni killed
Sterling, he immediately ordered two responding officers to confiscate
the “entire store security system” and detain him.

So that's fun.

Meanwhile, John Bel Edwards has praised the conduct of the police at nearly every opportunity. After they harassed and arrested over 100 protesters on Saturday night, he thanked them for their "moderate response." After police in riot gear had brutally advanced on and dispersed a peaceful crowd near downtown Baton Rouge on Sunday, one would expect the governor to maybe take a more critical stance. One would be disappointed, though.

Governor John Bel Edwards is commending law enforcement’s response to growing discontent